I am responding (finally) to a teacher story presented in the "Art and
Ecology Curriculum Integration" section. I looked at the Perspectives of
the Environment which was a pilot art-centered interdisciplinary class. It
was developed by the students, parents, administrators, and teachers of
Dublin Scioto High School in order to provide interested students with
opportunities to "experience an authentic and profound learning adventure."
I found their lesson plan to be very comprehensive and covering many
disciplines. What I really liked about the program was that it not only
had students looking at ecological issues in general, but they had an
opportunity to actually investigate ecological issues in their community.

It is also a wonderful idea to have the students invite an environmentalist
to class to discuss the impact of local ecological issues on the community.
They also shared with the guest speaker information about their selected
ecological issues. This informal conversation provided an opportunity for
students to begin their in-depth study about art and life-centered issues
in their own community.

The final lesson of the plan puts everything together for the students
where they can present their findings and ecological art creations to the
community. If students are able to share their beliefs and ideas with
others outside of the school, then it gives them the impression that their
work has significance - thus helping to strengthen their tie to helping
with ecological issues.

I would like to create a lesson plan similar to Dublin Scioto High School's
for a 3rd grade class in Tucson, AZ. There are many ecological issues to
be looked at here especially due to urban expansion. We are depleting the
natural habitats of animals and destroying native vegetation. There are
also problems with water supply and recycling because of our rapid
population growth. I see all kinds of possibilities with curriculum
crossover, especially within the science and language arts areas. The
University has many resources concerning Art and Ecology that can be
incorporated into my lesson plan.